From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey
Following the tumultuous and unexpected life of Zenaida Katzen, Simmonds’ biography weaves disparate threads from Russia, China, Chile, France, and St. Kitts-Nevis into a vibrant tapestry revealing a surprising and exceptional woman. Stepping outside of the spinster-teacher archetype, Katzen’s story is one of a complicated, fiercely independent woman whose decades of unwavering dedication and commitment to the education of children across the globe belie an intriguing, unpredictable and, at times, inexplicable personal life.
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For me, this book is archaeological, unearthing history
This is the book I have always wanted to read but did not know that I did. As soon as I heard the title and knew it was about Mrs. Katzen, I could not wait to get my hands on it. I was never in one of her French or Spanish classes. But I am still in the book, an integral part of her story. I spent many nights with her at Conaree Beach at my father’s insistence, just to keep her company, not realizing that she had been burglarized several times and needed me as her unwitting protector!
My Dad was the colleague who taught Mrs. Kazen to drive when she was in her sixties, changing her life in immeasurable ways. She invited me to attend the French Club (for boys) to help me pass the French GCE so I could have the final subject I needed for university entrance. (I passed!) And when you read about Karina Hudson who received a scholarship from Mrs. Katzen’s benefactor in Hong Kong, that’s me. After so many decades of knowing that I was not to be told the name of my academic sponsor, I am delighted to reveal it now, so I can say a public “thank you,” though those words seems so inadequate.
For me, this book was archeological, unearthing history. And my life has been so much richer for it.
Apart from the personal details, however, this book is about a remarkable daughter, an unbelievable benefactor, and last of all, a great teacher.
Mrs. Katzen fled Siberia, Hong Kong, another places, and even changed her name to be sure that her mother and aunt would be safe and happy. She kept reinventing herself, starting and abandoning schools, purchasing homes and then sometimes losing them, so her mother and aunt could have stability. That was the kind of daughter she was. As a benefactor she engaged the help of Horace Kadoorie in Hong Kong to assist students who needed help to purchase uniforms for school, to pay for books, even to buy groceries for needy families. Only when her need was dire, like to keep a roof over her head, would she accept a “loan” from Mr. Kadoorie. Her students’ needs came first.
But above all Mrs. Katzen was the consummate teacher, speaking to her students in French only (or Spanish) from day one, to immerse them in the language. She was the teacher who engaged her aunt to prepare snacks for the French and Spanish clubs that met at her home after school on weekends. Her mother would play the accompanying music as the students talked and sang in French (or Spanish). She managed to take those students who had never left St. Kitts to Puerto Rico, Martinique and other places so they could be surrounded by the language they were studying. Her students naturally took top honors when the GCE and CXC results came out. And like the author, Ira Simmonds, the foreign languages followed them long after Mrs. Katzen’s classes were over.
The investigative reporting with which the book commences is fascinating. As the author goes in one direction after another to discover Mrs. Katzen’s background, we are as eager as he is to know the truth. Where did this remarkable lady come from? What brought her to St. Kitts of all places? Why did she dress as she did and comb her hair in that strange style? How did he find out the truth? I invite you to read the book, and find yourself and these answers in it as I did. And if you cannot find yourself, you may discover a benefactor, a daughter, or a teacher to whom you can say, “Thank You.”
This is a lovely and deserved tribute to a great teacher and a fascinating and enjoyable story
Anyone who has attended secondary school in a British administered territory anywhere in the world will find this book familiar and fascinating! Among the faculty at such schools there was always at least one teacher who was distinctive because of national origin, sex, eccentricity or teaching style. Teenagers, adolescents, always impressionable, notice and embellish such differences. Rarely, however, does anyone deserve an, as arduously researched and fascinating accolade, as the teacher portrayed in this lovely recollection by a former St Kitts student and accomplished writer – Ira Simmonds.
This account of how Mr Simmonds uncovers the intricate and complex origin and circuitous trail of his admired French professor that tracks her from pre-World War 1 Siberia to Shanghai to an inconceivably distant Chile and finally to the tiny West Indian island of St Kitts is extraordinary!
His account of how her unusual teaching style, her humane outreach in an economically deprived society and her willingness to leverage long lost connections in the Far East to finance her efforts to help her students, transforms their lives and hers in a society far removed from her childhood in a distant outpost of Czarist Russia.
This is a lovely and deserved tribute to a great teacher and a fascinating and enjoyable story.
This is a compelling story of a woman whose comfortable life on one side of the globe was upended …
This is a compelling story of a woman whose comfortable life on one side of the globe was upended by revolution, but who eventually ignited her own revolution on another side. Through unflagging commitment, hard work and resilience, she utterly transformed the teaching of modern languages in the caribbean island of St Kitts, and inspired a generation of French and Spanish students. Long before the concept of paying attention to the “whole child” became popular in education, Madame Katzen challenged the minds of her students, but also went to great lengths to ensure that they had food in their stomachs and cloths on their backs.
Much of the book consists of letters written by Madame Katzen herself. By adopting this approach, the author allows her voice to come through loud and clear, unmediated by interpretation.
In the end, this book is more than the story of a teacher par excellence; it is the portrait of a human being who by refusing to surrender to life’s ups and downs, made life infinitely better for untold numbers of people.
I hated to put it down
Once I started this book, I hated to put it down! What an engrossing story of a woman born in Siberia and ending up in St. Kitts! Creative, caring, inventive, an administrator, a devoted friend, she traveled and taught around the world, and the author, one of her students, followed in her footsteps, researching and bringing her experiences to life. We travel with her, see what she saw, and get to know the people she knew. And best of all, we get to know her!
An exceptional extraordinary teacher!
Ira Simmons book tells of the devotion and dedication of his teacher which inspired him to research her life. She left a lifetime of cherished memories. His book displays the influence a teacher can have on a student. His teacher’s devotion to her students shines through like a beacon of light as told by Ira Simmons. Being a teacher myself I admire the commitment Ira made in writing his book to show the world the teacher that instilled so much knowledge and kindness in his childhood, using her time, talents and abilities and focused it on reaching her students.
Wonderful and spectacular book. Love the philanthropic work this teacher has done, sure hope more teacher’s like her would exists nowadays. Saw this in the LA event.
I was simply strolling through the campus during the Los Angeles Times Book Fest , looking at some books, this one got my attention. Read through parts of it during the event, now still reading through some of it as my studies got me busy, but so far all I can say I wish teachers like Zenaida would be alive nowadays. 5 stars for sure.
Awesome book. Saw an ad about this online. Only a halfway through the book, but so far with what I have read. Definitely deserves a 5 star.
Glorious book, this should be spread-out more in libraries and universities, this is what the youth right now should be reading, not those romance or erotica books, books like these that makes sense deserve more publicity.
Mrs. Katzen is an inspiration to us all, teachers like her or me should follow through her footsteps. If only though I was that fortunate in life like her, I would have done such philanthropic work myself. Kudos to her students that experienced her teachings first hand.
I was able to discover this book during the LA Times book fair in USC back on April. Great book indeed, this is an example of a teacher now adays should really take notice of and be like.
A lot of teachers just do bare minimum but unlike Ms Katzen who has set the bar high. Kudos.
Saw this in an ad through social media prior the LA event, had a hard time finding the booth it was in itself, but eventually did. Great book indeed, shows how some people like Mrs Katzen that would deserve to be recognized more. This book deserves some global branding or exposure, so others can follow through her footsteps. 5 stars!!!
I wish one of my teacher’s was like Mrs Katzen, I loved how the author was able to put into a very well detailed manner portraying how teacher’s nowadays should be. This should be spread more in Universities so more teachers or anyone can take Mrs Katzen’s acts as a sample on how people should be in general nowadays.
Exemplary work of a teacher. This should be an example to many these days, teachers or students or basically anyone as a good sample of a decent human being. Kudos. Excellent work to the author too.
5 stars no question. Great detailed story about this teacher Mrs Katzen. There are some topics though I did not fully understand, and saw the author has different translations for his books, hoping maybe a Russian translation may happen soon. Hopefully.
Great book. Must have been a great experience having someone like Mrs. Katzen as a teacher!!
Inspiring book on someone’s philanthropic work on how she was able to be a true “teacher” to society. What makes it better about her coming “from Siberia”. Surprising though the author has not yet decided to get a Russian version for this, considering a Hispanic version was done some time ago, would love to see one, and by the looks of it some in the Russian community.
Wonderful story on how someone’s want to help out others giving up their own selfish desires to help students in need should be praised more. This should be seen and be available in local book stores, or even internationally. Kudos also to the author details of said events.
Saw this book during the event in our campus. Its a great book, I wonder when can we start seeing teachers like these during this age. Hoping in our kids time, there will be some.
To keep it simple. Great book and great writer. For sure 5 stars.
Great book, well detailed philanthropic work of such astonishing class for a teacher. I love the fact about how the author was able to detail and research things to put in such an inspiring teacher like Mrs Katzen, a good example on how everyone should be if they have the liberty in doing so. 5 stars
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
Was raised my self in Siberia, it would have been great to have Mrs Katzen as a teacher of mine, I can see how inspiring she has been to a lot of people based on the reviews from her former students.
Awesome book, brilliant teacher. Kudos to Mrs. Katzen. Worth the purchase. I did not know this teacher obviously unlike from the other reviewers here but the way the author has detailed her life seems like I knew her firsthand.
I can see how well written in detail this book has been by the author for his teacher Mrs Katzen, indeed someone I would like to see teaching my kids nowadays
-Jefferson from Cologne Germany
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
Spectacular, with what Mrs Katzen has done to help students to be able to learn is something that should be well commended, the efforts she did to make a significant change to our society, it’s very rare to people nowadays, wish I was born during such generation and had a teacher like her.
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
Saw this in the LA event back on April, this is the type of book that should be in universities or libraries as it can draw inspiration to teachers and those who wish to go to the path of undertaking such career.
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
Awesome book, would love to see this in universities here in Europe, I am sure a lot would be willing to read through it. It does seem to have a lot of extensive reviews too about this wonderful teacher Mrs katzen, kudos to the author.
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
Wish we have teachers like Mrs Katzen in Germany, a lot of people would love to have her as one. Great compilation form the author too.
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
Awesome and wonderful book, or in German “Tolles und wunderbares Buch”
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
我希望台湾也有这样的老师，很多学生都需要像Kazen老师这样的高水平老师，让更多的学生能够接受正确的教育。
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
很高兴能够搬到台湾，因为与北京不同，我们很少看到像卡岑女士这样的老师，在台湾，老师确实有更多的自由去教授人们所需要的东西，就像卡岑女士所倡导的那样。
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
Awesome teacher and well researched book, this should be in more book stores and universities more importantly.
As this would really serve the best interest in doing so to have this to show sample to teachers and those who want to pursue such education on how they should be, like Mrs Katzen has for sure set the bar high for other teachers to follow.
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
作者那一代确实是最好的，而且与这一代教师（尽管不是全部）不同，卡岑夫人是独一无二的。
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds
很棒的书，通过采访发现的，还没有读完每一个部分，但它值得认可，尤其是对于像艾拉这样的作家，或者像卡岑夫人这样的老师。
TAG: From Siberia to St. Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey By Ira Sumner Simmonds